Thanks to God

When I start to grumble because of some situation that comes my way I think of a song from Steve Green I learned when I was younger about doing all things without grumbling and complaining. Or a song by Evie (a Christian singer from the 70's) that my Mom would play for us about being grateful for the good things that you've got. Or "Bless The Lord". It amazes me how many children's songs from my childhood come to mind and help me to remember what the Word has to say! I stop to remember all the blessings and testimonies God has brought to me in sunny and dark days alike. There is no way I can stay discouraged for long. He is faithful!
My Mom shared these thoughts below on thanksgiving to God with some ladies at a church retreat.

"When we talk about prayer and thanksgiving we see that you cannot have one without. We are told in the scriptures to pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks. In order to have effectual prayers, we need to always look for the good and beautiful - even though that goes against our flesh many times.
I would like to quote from the book, The Practice of Godliness, by Jerry Bridges, on his thoughts of thanksgiving.
“The primary purpose of giving thanks to God is to acknowledge his
Goodness and honor him. He is most worthy of our praise and
Thanksgiving, especially if we are among his redeemed people.
Thanksgiving promotes not only the glory of God, but also humility
In us. It is the tendency of the sinful human heart-even the
regenerated heart-to usurp the credit that rightfully belongs only to
God.
Thanksgiving also stimulates our faith. In Psalm 50:14,15, God
Connects thank offerings with calling upon him in the day of
Trouble. Remembering God’s previous mercies encourages us to
Trust him for mercies we need today.
Finally, thanksgiving promotes contentment. Few things will stir
Up discontent within us as will our inner spiritual struggle between
The sinful nature and the Holy Spirit. Its intensity caused Paul to
Cry out, “What a wretched man I am!” But then he finds relief and
Contentment in thanksgiving to God for the deliverance promised
To us through Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving will also promote
Contentment about possessions, position, and providence by
Focusing our thoughts on the blessings God has already given,
Forcing us to stop spending our time yearning for things we do not
Have. Contentment and thanksgiving strengthen each other.”
I have written some specific things we can be thankful for:
l. The blessings of our souls if we delight in the scriptures.
2. Thankful for the great goodness of God.
3. We can be thankful that God is our support in all of our afflictions and for the times we are in the wilderness.
4. We can be thankful for God’s desire to fill us with His love.
5. We can be thankful for light being restored in these latter days.
With all of our heart, hands and voices, we can join in the chorus of thanksgiving this evening and endeavor to have thankful hearts always. "

The Promises Of Peace

This morning I started reading part of a newspaper. I was reminded through all the war reports and conflicts of the world reported that the only true peace we can ever know in this world is through Christ. My Mom shares about this in an article:


The Promises of Peace

In today’s world, conflict is either around us or, unfortunately, within us. But take heart dear sisters, for it does not have to be that way. How blessed we are as God’s Handmaidens to be able to call upon the Prince of Peace each day. Jesus became The Word and published the glad tidings of salvation. Through His Word we will see what God says about peace.
One of the definitions of peace means a state of quiet or tranquility; freedom from disturbance or agitation. When you examine your life do you recognize that peace is in your heart? Each day when we go through the routines of getting dressed we are, as the elect of God, to put on the whole armor of God. To obtain perfect peace, our heavenly Father will allow trials to come into our life. Since we want to taste and know the sweet we must be acquainted with the bitter. Let us examine some aspects of peace.
To be at peace with GOD we must learn how to live in harmony with His will and our fellow man. Because this goes against our selfish nature we must humbly ask the Lord to teach us to die to ourselves and put others first. Our Wonderful Savior and Counselor is THE example of humility and meekness. Oh, to be more like the Master must be our daily vision.
To make peace we must hearken to the commandments and respond to conflicts as peacemakers. In a conflict are you quick to raise your voice or seek “justice” for the wrong you have been offended by? Proverbs 19:11 teaches us, “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” We have a promise from Jesus that he will “guide our feet into the way of peace.” When we seek the Lord and express to Him our desires to change, he will open our eyes to our hasty reactions and teach us how to live peaceably with all men. God will show us how to “heap coals of fire,” on our “enemies.” The scriptures are very clear that there is no place in the kingdom of God for grudges, anger and unforgiveness. Through the Holy spirit we can learn to respond to conflicts with a meek and gentle voice.
To hold the peace will be learned as we grow in Christ. As a Christian, we have to take care of the words we speak. My tongue has brought me more grief and I desire to bring it to the feet of Jesus. My tongue? “And again, I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by the words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:31,32. When we face conflicts and learn to suppress our thoughts and hold our tongue we will discover that it comes through forbearance, long suffering and forgiveness. “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” Romans 14:19
In closing, let me share some thoughts to one of my favorite hymns, It is Well With My Soul.” When life is pressing all around you, when you feel the waves tossing you every which way, God will give you peace that passeth understanding. It doesn’t matter how trivial or serious, if you let the Lord be at the helm, each of us can have peace like a gentle flowing river, attending to our way.
Written by:
Deborah Dean

Walking The Path

This weekend I was at my parent's house and found some of my Mom's writings on the computer. She will be my guest blogger this week as I share some of her thoughts.

WALKING THE PATH

I think of Saints before me,
Who have walked the old, old path.
I look at the solid ground below,
Ancient and new, the doorway to Heaven’s path.

Everywhere I look, Creation is at it’s best.
Presenting their fruits of labor,
Amid the dew that’s glistening wet.

Wildflowers are brimming everywhere I see
The colors and varieties, have their quiet stance of duty,
My eyes are met with tears of joy, my heart is filled to the brim;
Seeing nature all around speak, sweetly, of Him.

My Jesus, my Jesus!
I look and see! Signs of my life are everywhere, here with me.
The intricate and delicate spider webs, are dripping with dew,
They are fragile! Can they bear the load?
Oh yes! They do the job You called them to do!

Most of the worldly sounds are banished from my ears.
Birds sing loud their choruses,
Joyfully giving their all;
Singing to God Hallelujah! Rejoicing in pure praises!

Sounds of warning, bold and strong
Echo from a mighty few.
Prepare ye now! Prepare ye now!
For the Bridegroom delayed not long!

Other birds are like the angels,
Their call is full of gentle and meek praises.
Quietly reminding me the time will not be long!
Jesus will come in His Glory!
Gathering His Elect from earth’s Heavenly floor.

My old, old path that is so new to me;
Reminds to me this very day.
Bend my knees, diligently pray!
Hearken willingly; and with cheer, obey!

written by:
Deborah Dean
October 7, 2003

A Mother's Love

I asked my Mom to write this article for our New Little Blessing ENewsletter. I wanted to post it here for Mother's Day. Have a wonderful day!

A MOTHER’S LOVE

Being a Mother has been a tremendous blessing in my life. I am so grateful my Heavenly Father allowed me the wonderful responsibility of being a Mother to my now three adult children! I was also blessed to be able to home school them for 16 years with my youngest daughter never stepping a foot in a schoolroom.
My oldest daughter asked me to write this article several weeks ago and this is one time I didn’t balk or delay in responding to a yes! The reason is simply I loved being a Mother and I want to share a few words about the goals of Motherhood that I think are important. Since Jennifer wanted the theme to be centered on Mothers for Mother’s Day, I have enjoyed a few moments in looking back on my Mother’s Day experiences. I have always loved Mother’s Day. It was a special time in our home and I can see my children scurrying around to get their projects done on time. Fixing a meal as they got older required my two daughters and son to work together. They did a fine job in accomplishing that task in itself! I can see the results in my mind when they were much younger. The tray of food brought some crusty scrambled eggs. cold toast and a cup of tea with half of the tea resting in the saucer! The sweet touch of a handpicked bouquet with dandelions and a couple of flowering weeds brought a smile to their faces as I sniffed and said, “Oh, the flowers are so pretty!” and watched the pollen settle on the tray! Only a Mother would find this to be the best meal of that day!
I decided to write some thoughts based on my title in the form of an acronym. I do hope you find a few nuggets of truth for your life in being the best Mother you can be!

A MOTHER’S LOVE

Advocate - 1 John 2 tells us, “We have an advocate with the Father.” Just as we
treasure knowing God is on our side, try to always let your children
know that you are their advocate in their everyday dealings on this
Earth.

Magnanimous - An old-fashioned word and not commonly heard today but I really
like the meaning. The best examples of Mothers in our history of
this world were Mothers whose lives were dictated by
magnanimity, exhibiting nobleness of soul, not selfish…prompts
{her} to sacrifice personal ease, interest (think hobbies put on
hold that would take you away from your children’s precious
needs) and safety for the accomplishment of useful and noble
objects. Are these challenging goals or what? Achieving the goals
of Motherhood does take tremendous sacrifice on your part but
God has ordained these responsibilities from the beginning of time
and He will assist us all the way as we call out to Him in prayer.

Obedient - Teaching our children to be obedient to us is a monumental task. But
in order to teach them properly to obey we must let our children learn
to see obedience in action! Do we respond to our Heavenly Father with
delight? Do we show our willingness to obey God’s commandments? If
you are a new Christian (and I was) then you will learn along side your
children!

Tenderhearted - “Be ye kind one to another, and tender-hearted.” Ephesians 9. I
think it is safe to say this is one of the first areas Mothers begin child-
training. Your children’s interaction with one another throughout
day requires kindness on everyone’s part. Because we are selfish by
nature, our reminders, “share with each other,” or “give a kiss to
your baby brother so he will feel better,“ help to set the stage for the bigger goals: your children performing acts of kindness on their own!
It all happens so gradually that in all honesty, we sometimes do not
grasp all that has taken place in our efforts to teach and exemplify
kindness! I believe being tender-hearted is learned through acts of
kindness although you will likely find one child a little more tender-
hearted than another. God blesses our home with little ones with
their gifts and talents unique from each other.

Honor - “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. John 5.” It is truly an honor that God places the trust of a Mother to
teach a child to honor Him and to honor His Only Begotten Son.
When a Mother lives her life devoted to God and all of her life is
centered on that devotion, her children will see giving Honor to God to be a very natural expression.

Encouragement - I believe for all who read these words that none can push
themselves in every area of life without some encouraging words
here and there. Think of a little seedling sitting in a hot, sunny
room feeling quite parched. When the gardener comes with a
watering can, the water acts as an encourager to grow. Be the best
encourager for your child so growth is strong and sturdy in their
spirits.

Respectful - If I were to be diligent in all areas of child training and yet I did
not teach my children to be respectful to God and their parents then
I have failed.

Soberness - One of the meanings of this word expresses our need to have free-
dom from heat and passion, calmness and coolness. Little children
live in the “now moments!” Be patient as you help them realize this
and learn that waiting 30 minutes for snack time WILL happen, that
sharing their favorite toy will NOT bring sudden death! (A tip here:
Timers work wonderfully to give “definition of time, if you will,
while they are young.)

Laughter - When a young Mother is caring for little ones everyday and all the tasks that come with her role, it gets very taxing and the demands
can be overwhelming at times. Stop and Drop to the nearest couch!
Call your little ones for some tickle time, a good fun book, or pick a
funny word for that day!

Open-minded - There are many voices that speak of child training. Study and
study some more, keeping your heart and mind open to the leadings
of the Holy Spirit directing you the best path to take. Your
husband will hopefully be involved in this process with you!

Victorious - “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,” and this
Scripture applies to you as a Mother as well as the Apostle Paul. With prayer and wisdom from above, you will see signs of victory many times over. Keep looking to God to see you through the
struggles and it is my hope and prayer for you as well as myself that
when you are old your children will “rise up and call you blessed.”

Endurance - What a fitting word for my last entry! We are to endure to the end.
I remember the desire for the day to come to an end so I could go to
bed! Today, we have at our fingertips, books galore and information
on the many wonderful Mothers that have gone on before us. Such
wonderful examples and I encourage you to read and cling to those
truths that speak to your heart as you read.

May God Bless You This Day and Every Day!
His Handmaiden,
Mrs. Deborah Dean
May 3, 2006
(a note: I used Webster’s 1828 Dictionary for help in writing this article and I strongly encourage you to check it out! It was used a lot in our home and I continue to use it.)

Sober-minded Young Men

Is it just me or does there seem to be scads of encouraging articles, books, magazines, etc. to encourage Christian young women, but there is a dearth of such materials for young men? I don’t know all the reasons for this. My sister suggested in part it could be the nature of men versus women. I suppose most young girls (and women for that matter) thrive on talking, reading, and friendships. They like communication! More girls than guys want to write the articles, letters, and so on that make all this written encouragement possible. When my sister Caroline and I were 11 and 16 a friend brought HopeChest magazine to our attention. To us it seemed we were the lone rangers in a quest for seriously desiring to grow into godly women. Suddenly we found other girls who were also seeking for a walk with Christ. New friends were found! Caroline and I both ended up with a long list of pen pals, found more magazines encouraging likeminded Christian girls to walk with Christ, books, tapes, and more. My brother on the other hand found 1 pen pal and 1 magazine that for a short time existed for the purpose of sharing thoughts on being a sober minded righteous young man. As I looked through my prayer journal this evening I found some notes I had written sometime ago as I was thinking on this.
Most women I know think of Titus 2 as “their” chapter. However, if you look at the chapter you will see 4 verses addressed to men and 3 verses addressed to women. I was reading the verses addressed to young men.
“Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded. In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.” Titus 2: 6-8
I think I could count on 1 hand the young men I know who fit this description. I was wondering, “what man was the example of Titus 2 in scripture?” I have listed in my journal the man of God whose life testified exactly the spirit of this scripture:

The Titus 2 Example: Daniel
“It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first, that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” Daniel 6:1-5

These enemies of God could find no fault in Daniel. High praise indeed! I hope the young men desiring soberness will find a Daniel today to be that example to them. Maybe God desires them to become that Daniel themselves!